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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — low music
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. court — of law
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. court — of a king
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. deal — to handle
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. court — for sport
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. trunk — of an elephant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com